


This Time of Year (Juice Ortiz x Female!Reader)

by crimsonheart01



Series: 12 Days of Ficmas 2020 [7]
Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M, Good Samaritan, On the Run, Wintery fluff, holiday spirit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28254762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonheart01/pseuds/crimsonheart01
Summary: Juice finds himself taking a break from being on the run and encounters a stranger who seems to understand him.
Relationships: Juice Ortiz/Original Character(s), Juice Ortiz/Original Female Character(s), Juice Ortiz/Reader, Juice Ortiz/You
Series: 12 Days of Ficmas 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2056347
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	This Time of Year (Juice Ortiz x Female!Reader)

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thank you to my sweet svintsandghosts for this request! Hope you love it!
> 
> This is random but 8 Crazy Nights has always been one of my top three Christmas/Holiday movies. Elf comes in first and Jim Carrey's How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of the others. Anyway, the song for this fic comes from 8 Crazy Nights. I'll say this, it's not that happy of a song.
> 
> Prompt: 8. "Merry Christmas" "I don't celebrate Christmas"
> 
> Word Count: 1.7K words
> 
> Playlist: Davey's Song - Adam Sandler
> 
> Warnings: SOA Spoilers. If you haven't seen the end of Season 6 or all of Season 7, reading this will give away a huge plot point for the last season.

_"Well I'm a snowmobile stealing  
No 'tis the season' feeling  
Kind of guy (kind of guy)  
This time of year sucks  
So I take my numchucks  
And make sure every snowman dies"  
_ _Davey's Song – Adam Sandler_

Juice had his snapback pulled low over his face and hoodie zipped all the way up. He trudged down the streets of Frisco, trying to keep himself occupied while he waited out the storm. With his hands firmly planted inside his pockets, he kept the burner wrapped uptight, on the off chance that it rang and gave him the all-clear. He knew it was a pipe dream, but he could hope. If this time of year brought him anything, it was that hope was something he'd always have.

He didn't bother to look up often, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk and other people's feet. He managed to manoeuvre himself without any second glances. It was both a testament to his stealth but also a light shone on the darkest part of city life. No one noticed anyone outside of themselves. No one bothered to take a closer look. No one got involved.

Finding himself in a spiral, he decided he needed a break. None of the Sons ever came out this far. He was safe. The Mayans kept to the other side of the bridge, in Oaktown. He could afford to lift his head this once. Take in some of the scenery around him. It may not be the snowy December of his youth, but there was still an obvious spirit in the air.

He found himself blow sideways by the sheer amount of people out and rushing around. With his head up and eyes taking in the streets, he was surprised he hadn't run into anyone. People were rushing in every direction, swerving left and right. He paused, to his detriment and was immediately knocked off balance by a self-important, suit-wearing man.

Juice opened his mouth to shout at the man but in the very next second, he was gone. Swallowed up by the crowd. Juice took this moment to slip off the main walkway and stand next to an overly decorated city tree. He slouched down, inhaling and running both his hands down his face.

There was a time when he thoroughly enjoyed this type of hustle but since making his way to small towns in the west, he'd grown to prefer the slower pace of the communities. Being in the city made his anxiety peak. Not to mention he was actively on the lamb. Hiding. With a long sigh, he perched on the side of the concrete planter, spending his time people watching.

It wasn't the best way to pass the time, but it was better than walking around aimlessly and dwelling on his current situation – the hole he'd dug himself into. Squeezing his eyes shut, he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes to rid himself of his past, attempting to focus on this moment, right here, right now.

His wallowing was interrupted by a woman dressed head to toe in the most festive red overcoat that he'd ever seen. He was taken by her because she was merrily walking – no, skipping – down the street, with a smile so large he thought it likely had to have her cheeks sore. She was handing out little tokens to the passerby's as she went, offering them a jauntily holiday greeting to anyone who would listen.

It wasn't until she was standing directly in front of him that he realized he'd been staring. Enough that she'd noticed and come over. She pulled out a postcard and handed it to him but he didn't reach out to take it. Instead of appearing slighted by his non-response, she slipped the item back into one of her pockets before regarding him again.

 **"Merry Christmas!"** She smiled at him.

He did a double-take, unsure if she was actually speaking to him. It startled him that even after he'd been openly dismissive of her advance, she was still willing to offer him something kind in return. Even if it was just a small wish for a happy season.

He gave a minute shake of his head, before mumbling, **"I don't celebrate Christmas."**

That one threw her, she paused, her eyebrows pulled together. He felt a strange feeling overcome him at her dilemma. She hadn't been expecting an answer, never mind the one he gave. He had to actively push down the sensation growing inside him. A smile. It seemed so foreign to him. He couldn't recall the last time he had a genuine reason to even bother with the gesture. She blinked a few times before grinning broadly again.

"Happy Hanukkah!" She tried again.

This time he couldn't hold back. She was determined.

He let out a small laugh, "I don't celebrate that one either."

She huffed quietly to herself, dumbfounded. Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out if any of the other December holidays were a right fit. He could see the battle she was waging to herself and stopped her.

"I have no reason to celebrate Christmas, so I don't." He explained, as briefly as he could.

He couldn't very well go into the dirty details about his predicament. Ultimately. that's led him into this situation in the first place. His own inability to keep his mouth shut. He was startled out of his thoughts when she sat down next to him, primly brushing away any leaves before getting comfortable.

He stared blankly at her for a long moment, at a loss. He truly thought their exchange had ended with his last comment. It was a clear shutdown, or at least, he thought it was. She turned to look at him then away as though she hadn't even taken any stock of him before she whipped back around.

"What?" She exclaimed.

Now he was really lost. She was acting like he was the one being strange. Without the right words, he continued to stare. She stared back but with a grin slowly forming. Eventually, she tilted her head to the side, really assessing him and his appearance. He shifted away from her, uncomfortable under her scrutiny. His hiding away only made her bolder in her company. He nearly flinched when she started talking.

"You looked like you could use some company," He watched her shrug before continuing, "No one likes being alone on any holiday, but it gets pushed into the spotlight around December when everyone is out here acting like chickens with their heads cut off. Searching and rushing for the best trinket to give someone else, reinforcing the societal obligation to participate in this particular holiday season."

Now it was his turn to be dumbfounded. Without gauging his own reaction, he heard himself say, "What?"

She laughed at that and he felt his heart palpitate at the sound. How long had it been since he'd heard the soft laughter of a woman who willingly put her into his company? He was smacked with more than just missing the brotherhood he'd lost. He missed the feeling of family, the feeling of a significant other, the feeling of being connected.

She must have seen the turmoil in his expression because at that exact moment, she reached out and caught his hand with hers. He jerked involuntarily at the gesture and she immediately loosened her hold. She didn't want to be too forward, he noticed, she was only trying to offer him comfort. He relaxed and gave her a small nod of his head, indicating to her that he was good and she was okay with her offering.

She gave him another small smile before wrapping her fingers around his again and placing their connected hands into her lap where she cupped her other hand around theirs.

* * *

**~(SOA)~**

* * *

They sat there for what must have been hours. He thought to himself countless times that there had to be somewhere that she needed to be but she never wavered. Her hand held his tightly, never yielding. As the sun started to set he couldn't fathom the thought of keeping her any longer. Not to mention it wasn't the safest bet for him to be out wandering in the middle of the night. There was no telling what he could accidentally witness, or who he could happen upon.

He flexed his fingers underneath hers, pulling her attention towards him and began to unwrap their entwined hands. He pulled his hand to his chest

"Thank you," He murmured, "I don't have any way to repay you."

She brushed him off by waving a hand dismissively, "Nonsense, it was my pleasure. I have enough holiday cheer for a marching band. You needed to borrow a little and I had more than enough to spread."

He nodded. Her words held a lot of truth. He could feel the positive energy radiating off of her. It was why he hadn't run away earlier. They both stood up, brushing their pants off before preparing to depart. She stepped towards him, zipped up his hoodie a bit more, then patted the sides of his shoulders. She preened his shoulders, making sure there wasn't an ounce of dust on them. He felt his heart grow inside his chest at the tenderness of her actions, the familiarity.

"Take care of yourself." She told him, offering him a bright smile, "No one deserves to be lonely."

He was stunned by her words. They hadn't exchanged any conversation, yet it was as though she knew exactly what he was going through. She winked over at him before turning on her heel and disappearing down the street in the opposite direction she'd shown up in. He stood stock-still, watching as the people on the street started to disperse and her with them.

He had no idea who she was, where she came from, or why she chose to take pity on him, but it helped. She reignited the hope that was dwindling within him. She made him believe that there was redemption down the road for him. With that new belief in mind, he turned and made his way back to his safehouse with more purpose.


End file.
